Golf game improver



May 18, 1937. E, s HANNAFORD GOLF GAME IMPROVER Filed Feb. 25, 1955 PEG. 2

Fig 1 FIG. 5

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Patented May 18, 1937 UNETED STATE FIE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in the manner of teaching a person the proper path of swing of a golf club, so that said person may practice the same in an ordinary room easily and safely, and with substantially the same coordination of muscles as are used in the actual game.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a practice stick, weighted so as to give the same feel, substantially, as the regular golf club, when swung, said stick having a beam-projecting means carried thereby, whereby the player may observe the path traversed by said beam during the swing, and note how it compares with the line of travel of the ball if the latter had actually been struck with the head of a club at the time.

Another object of my invention is to provide a practice stick of the kind described, in which the beam directed therefrom shall be a substantially elongated spot of light extending transversely of the axis of the stick, to thereby enable said spot to be more easily followed visually as the spot traces its path over the playing surface.

A further object of my invention is to provide a golf training stick of the kind described, with its lower end so weighted that substantially the entire weight of the stick is concentrated at said end and the resultant center of gravity of the stick will be closely adjacent said lower end, said weights being adjustably mounted so as to permit of slight variations in weighting and positioning to accommodate different types of clubs.

An added object of my invention is to provide a beam-directing stick of the kind described so that one of the principal requisites of the game, namely keeping the head down during the playing stroke, is absolutely required in order to observe the path of travel of the light beam across the playing surface, and thus this requirement is truly taught and will be more or less unconsciously performed during play with actual clubs on the playing greens.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a practice mat for use in combination with the lighted practice stick, there being one or more guide lines on the mat, so that as the beam of light travels across the mat during practice, the actual travel of said beam may be compared with the guide lines thereon, and faults of swinging corrected.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, as will be apparent from the disclosures herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and the method of using the same, as will be more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure l is a side view showing the relationship of the golf ball and practice stick during use of the latter;

Figure 2 is a top plan View showing the projected beam of light closely adjacent the ball at one point of swing of the practice stick;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the practice stick;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the spacer between the lamp and lens; and

Figure 5 is a plan View of the practice mat, with the ball and projected lamp filament image thereon.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein I have illustrated one of the preferred embodiments of my invention, A indicates a stick or club primarily intended for the practice of golf or the like within a more or less confined space, such as in an ordinary household room.

Players of the game of golf must substantially confine themselves to the outdoor playing field for all of their play and practice, because the swinging of the full length clubs in the home would cause havoc and destruction therein. Further, even if large enough practice rooms were available, it would be rather diflicult to observe and correct faults of swing, and such practice might be of more harm than good by perpetuating such faults. Further, there are seasons when actual outdoor play is not practical, and the players lose some of their skill through inactivity. In order to overcome such drawbacks and to make the correction of faulty swinging easier, I have constructed a practice stick that can be employed in practically any room and in which the path of swing can be readily followed and so corrected to give the desired line of flight to balls struck.

The stick A is preferably tubular, sufiiciently strong and rigid to withstand the use to which it may be put, and one end, which we may term the lower end, may be weightedin some suitable manner, such as by one or more split rings of lead or other heavy material I, which may be easily adjustably secured in place on the stick by clamping the same onto the latter. This lower end may be provided with screw threads 2, if desired, to receive the retaining cap 3 to lock the double-convex lens 4 in position across the lower end of the stick.

An electric lamp or bulb 5 is positioned at some distance from the lens 4, receiving its electrical energy from one or more batteries 6, controlled by the switch 1 positioned at some suitable point for convenient manipulation by the user. A yoke 8 is used for properly spacing the lens from the bulb 5, so that the image of the lamp filament will be thrown onto the playing surface in a clearly and sharply defined manner, as a substantially elongated spot of light L extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the stick, and the path of projection of the beam. In other words, care is taken that the spacer is so proportioned to space the filament and lens farther apart than the principal focus of the lens. Hence the light will not be diffused when thrown from the stick, but will make the clear, transversely elongated image on the playing surface, the same being quite easy to follow across the latter.

The stick is so proportioned that substantially its entire weight is located adjacent the lower end, and hence the center of gravity of the com plete stick will be adjacent this end, resulting in quite the same "feel in the hands of the player when swinging this abbreviated club, as the fullsized club having its striking head thereon. Of course, the upper portion of the stick may be suitably roughened to provide a better hand-em gaging portion.

Further, in the event that, for any reason, a player desires to lengthen the stick, an attachment or extension may be provided as at 9, to detachably interlock with the abbreviated stick in any suitable manner, but of course, when the club is lengthened, the weights must be adjusted to new positions to throw the center of gravity farther from the lower end of the club somewhat, and more nearly to the actual center of gravity of the full-length club, or differently-sized weights replaced on the stick.

Although a mat M is not an essential necessity for use of and benefit from the practice stick, yet the use of a mat will improve and hasten good swinging form, principally on account of the better light-reflecting surface of the mat, and the guide lines thereon. These guide lines may be drawn to indicate various things, such as for example the line H] indicating the probable line of flight of the ball when struck from behind, squarely and well, this line being substantially the trace of the projected beam during the down swing of the club. This trace will be substantially a straight line on the mat when the stick is correctly swung, even though the actual path described by the lower end of the practice stick is an arc. The other guide line H may indicate the proper line or arc of swing during the back stroke, from adjacent the ball.

The ball B may be placed at a predetermined point, preferably at a slight distance farther from the line It) than the latter is from the player, so as to compensate for the offset of the club head.

' Then, the person using the abbreviated stick holds the same with its end extending to flush with the end of an actual full-length club and extending along it, to determine the proper distance for addressing the ball, placing the head of the golf club directly behind the ball and keeping the feet at the required relationship to the ball. The full-sized club is then discarded, and practice is had with the abbreviated stick, swinging the same just as if the player were attempting to strike the ball.

The switch of the stick is of course turned on, and the projected light beam makes an elongated, somewhat rectangular spot of light on the mat, or on the playing surface of the room, somewhat as indicated at S in Fig. 2, the club being rotatably adjusted in the hands to bring the spot lengthwise and parallel to the line ID as shown. The hands firmly grip the stick in the same manner as in actual play, and the spot of light is to one side of the ballthe near side, because this allows a compensation for the offset of the normal club head from its shaft.

The player then goes through the normal golf swing as before-mentioned, just as if he were attempting to hit the ball with his practice stick.

The light spot traces its path across the playing surface during the swings, and the first portion of the trace is that corresponding to the back swing of the club and will be substantially according to the line H, and on the down swing the trace past the ball will be substantially along the line iii. The degree of closeness of the actual traces to the guide lines will approximately determine the accuracy of the swinging.

Inasmuch as the player must keep his head 0 down in order to follow the projected beam during swinging, this becomes a habit and he will most likely retain that habit and keep his head down and his chin properly pointed in actual play on the course, thus unconsciously improving his playing form.

It is obvious that through the use of this stick, and especially so in combination with the mat, the player is taught to hold his head in correct position and is able to note and correct faults of swing, such as slicing and hooking, by noting the deviation of the trace from the guides, for only when the swings have been entirely correct will the beam traces correspond closely to or be along the guide lines.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form,

arrangement, construction and combination of parts herein shown and described, except as limited by the state of the art to which this invention appertains, and the claim hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A golf swing practice device, comprising a. stick abbreviated relative to the usual length of a golf club shaft and weighted to have its center of gravity closely adjacent one end of the same, a double convex lens at said end, an electric light filament within said stick and so shaped and spaced from said lens that the image of said filament will be clearly projected onto the playing surface in the form of an elongated bar as the stick is swung thereover, and means to energize said filament.

EARIE S. HANNAFORD. 

